France can expect to swelter from Wednesday
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PARIS • An early heatwave is expected to hit France this week, the state forecaster Meteo France said, with temperatures reaching up to 38 deg C in the south.
The heatwave will affect the southern part of the country first, although how far it will spread to the north is uncertain, Meteo France said on Sunday.
Temperatures could reach 35 to 38 deg C from the middle of the week until the weekend, and are not expected to fall below 20 degrees, the meteorological service predicted.
Meteo France also said that this year's heat wave is set to arrive unusually early, with temperatures predicted seen normally at the height of summer.
This is due to a low-pressure system located between the Azores islands and Madeira in the Atlantic, which favours the uprising of warm air over Western Europe.
The state forecaster said it expected the peak of the heat wave in France to take place between Thursday and Saturday.
Neighbouring Spain is experiencing the hottest pre-summer heatwave for at least 20 years. Temperatures reached 40 deg C in the Guadalquivir valley in Seville and the nearby city of Cordoba last Saturday, the national meteorological office said.
REUTERS